Barcelona Beat 10-Man Villarreal to Reopen Four-Point Gap at La Liga Summit

Posted : 21 December 2025

Barcelona returned to the top of La Liga with a four-point cushion after an entertaining away victory over Villarreal, who played more than half the match with 10 men.

Barcelona tightened their grip on first place in La Liga by overcoming Villarreal in a lively contest at the Estadio de la Cerámica, restoring a four-point advantage over rivals Real Madrid. Despite coming under early pressure, Hansi Flick’s side showed composure and clinical finishing to secure another important win.

The visitors struck first against the run of play in the 12th minute when Raphinha calmly converted a penalty after being fouled in the box by Santi Comesaña. Villarreal, who entered the match on a six-game league winning streak, continued to push forward but were dealt a major blow in the 39th minute when Renato Veiga was sent off for a reckless challenge from behind on teenage star Lamine Yamal.

Before the opener, Villarreal had created several promising chances. Nicolas Pépé headed wide from close range, while Ayoze Pérez saw a dangerous effort deflected before testing Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García with a tame strike. Raphinha later came close to doubling Barcelona’s lead, smashing a powerful shot against the crossbar.

The home side thought they had equalised before the break when Jules Koundé inadvertently turned a low cross into his own net, but the goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up. Villarreal also hit the woodwork again as Pépé was denied in a one-on-one, though that effort would not have counted due to another offside call.

With a numerical advantage, Barcelona controlled the second half more comfortably. Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Júnior was forced into a full-stretch save to deny Fermín López early after the restart, but the visitors soon sealed the result. Yamal showed his composure in the 63rd minute, poking home from close range after a goalmouth scramble to score his ninth goal of the season in all competitions.

Although Georges Mikautadze later went close for Villarreal, Barcelona remained in control and closed out the match with little trouble. The victory extended their winning run in La Liga to eight games, underlining their strong form heading into the winter break.

Barcelona will resume league action with a derby clash against Espanyol on Saturday, January 3, while Villarreal travel to face Elche earlier the same day.

Barcelona Beat 10-Man Villarreal to Reopen Four-Point Gap at La Liga Summit

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